Center for Community Engagement Proposal

Formerly the Center for Community Engaged Learning and Research Due to the proposed changes outlined below and in the attached documents, it is also recommended by the staff, and supported by the Community Engaged Learning (CEL) Council, that the name “Center for Community Engaged Learning and Research (CELR)” be changed to “Center for Community Engagement (CCE)” in order to provide more clarity of the Center’s role and inclusion of the Bonner Community Scholars Program. In all of the attached documents, the Center will be referred to by the new name. The Center for Community Engagement (CCE) is composed of the CEL Institute and the Bonner Institute. The CCE aims to clarify its role and goals beginning the Fall 2020 semester through the attached proposals. All of the changes are related to the CEL Institute side of the CCE. In order to increase the quality and impact of our community engagement work campus-wide, the CEL staff, in partnership with the CEL Council, recommend amending the First-Year CEL implementation model, adding an (Introductory) CEL designation, an Advanced Community Engaged Learning (ACEL)-by-Contract option and changing the name of the Center. By making these changes, the CEL staff will have more time to devote to high-impact CEL practices and campus-wide community engagement support and coordination.

● Center Overview - Vision Beginning Fall 2020 ○ See “Center Overview - Vision for Fall 2020” document for details. ○ Notable Change: Center name change.

● First-Year CEL Experience ○ See “FYCEL Experience Proposal” document for details. ○ Notable Change: New model for FYCEL implementation

● (Introductory) CEL Designation ○ See “CEL Designation Proposal” document for details. ○ Notable Change: Addition of Introductory-level CEL designation

● ACEL-by-Contract Designation ○ See “ACEL-By-Contract Proposal” document for details. ○ Notable Change: Addition of ACEL-by-Contract option

If implemented, there is an anticipated increase in quality and consistency of the First-Year CEL experience, an increase in opportunities for students and faculty to engage in Advanced CEL experiences, new opportunities for campus-wide coordination and celebration, increased cross-department collaboration, increased CEL staff support for faculty/staff led community engagement initiatives, increased community impact and visibility, and increased publication and scholarship opportunities. This plan aligns with the President’s call for cross-department collaboration and clarity of TCNJ’s community engagement work, the CCE strategic plan, and can be integrated into any of the Liberal Learning models selected.

Overview of Suggested Changes

Center for Community Engagement (CCE) Overview (Beginning Fall 2020)

CCE Mission, Vision, and Values (Name change only) “Advancing Communities through Engaged Education” Mission Grounded in TCNJ’s mission to “empower its diverse students, staff, and faculty to sustain and enhance their communities,” as well as TCNJ’s commitment to the public purpose of higher education, TCNJ’s Center for Community Engagement develops lifelong learners who are prepared to lead lives of critically informed community engagement. We do this by delivering learning experiences and research opportunities that connect TCNJ students and faculty with community partners in reciprocal collaborations. These collaborations enhance the ability of participants and organizations to understand and address the contexts and causes of community-identified concerns. Vision TCNJ’s CCE will be a national leader in integrating community engagement throughout TCNJ’s educational and scholarly activities by building on local and regional assets and relationships. Values

● Engaged Learning: We deliver educational experiences that provide individuals and groups opportunities to participate in and reflect upon civic and community engagement.

● Social Change: We create meaningful and innovative experiences that contribute to lasting benefits for communities and that challenge systemic injustices and inequalities.

● Collaboration: We build reciprocal relationships with diverse community-based organizations to develop sustainable partnerships and projects that mutually benefit all participants.

● Full Participation: We create opportunities and environments in which individuals from diverse backgrounds are able to participate meaningfully and effectively.

Bonner Institute

Bonner Institute: Mission, Vision and Objectives

Mission The founding mission for the Bonner Institute is to provide diverse low-income, under-represented, and first generation students with the opportunity to attend college, while engaging their talents and education in building and supporting communities.

Vision The vision of TCNJ Bonner Institute is to work with communities by engaging students in service and civic involvement. It is our hope that the collaboration of students, faculty, staff, and the community can provide a community-driven way to promote and bring awareness to social justice issues and community-identified needs.

History The Bonner Community Scholars Program was established at TCNJ in 2004. Now housed in The Bonner Institute, as part of the Center for Community Engaged Learning and Research (CELR), it helps support the College’s mission of empowering students “to sustain and enhance their communities both locally and globally.” The Bonner Program has received the Community Engagement Classification from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and our program remains one of the largest in the nation. The Bonner Institute is supported by the Corella and Bertram F. Bonner Foundation. Learning Outcomes For eight semesters Bonner Scholars engage in the program with the following learning outcomes in mind:

● Civic and Community Engagement ○ Develop an understanding of how and why organizations, individuals, and partnerships between

stakeholders can often build the capacities of communities. ● Social Justice

○ Develop the ability to identify, analyze, and address social injustices. ● Structural and Systemic Change

○ Develop the ability to identify, analyze and address systemic and structural contexts that produce injustes and to work with others to create systemic and structural change.

● Personal and professional development ○ Develop the ability to identify and achieve personal and professional goals.

● Diversity of Communities and Culture ○ Develop an understanding and appreciation of the value of people and cultures different from their

own. Program Overview The Bonner Community Scholars Program is a four-year student and community development program that provides participants with opportunities to enhance their own skills while promoting positive change. Below are a few highlights of the 2019-2020 program:

● Currently 81 students ● 300 hours of service per Scholar (service site, educational trainings and meetings, CEL facilitation) ● 20+ active community partner sites ● Student leadership developmental model ● Bonner scholars receive 50-100% tuition scholarship based on need

Service Bonner Scholars serve at a matched community partner site in one or more of the following areas:

● Direct service ● Research & information gathering ● Curriculum, program or lesson plan development ● Outreach, communications, organizing, public relations ● Training, technical assistance, conference & meeting services ● Policy analysis, issue awareness-forums, legislative updates ● Resource development, fundraising

Training & Education The Bonner Institute integrates the exploration of the Bonner Common Commitments and learning outcomes into student work in various ways, including reflection activities, trainings, film screenings, discussions, and coursework. Some examples include, but are not limited to:

● Freshman Seminar ○ First Seminar Program (FSP) 162-09: Social Justice: Theory, Problems & Practice.

● Bonner Meetings ○ Bonner Scholars participate in bi-weekly educational meetings that aim to enhance insight on issue

areas and responses to social injustices. ● Service Trips & Cultural Opportunities

○ Bonner Scholars are offered a series of educational opportunities to increase their knowledge of democracy, citizenship, as well as their ability to experience and engage with different communities locally and globally.

● Expectations and experiences are scaffolded, in the context of community service, engagement, and within students' academic and co-curricular learning. At the core of this model is the opportunity for students to work intensively with a community partner over each semester, often supplemented by full-time summer internships.

Bonner Volunteers A number of Bonner community partners welcome additional volunteers. TCNJ students who volunteer alongside Bonner Scholars are called Bonner Volunteers (B-Vols). B-Vols are able to serve on a regular or occasional basis, and often assist with large projects or last-minute needs. Bonner Volunteers are instrumental members of our site teams, and often apply to the Bonner Community Scholars programs after serving with us for a year.

Community Engaged Learning (CEL) Institute

Community Engaged Learning: Definition and Objectives (No Change)

What is Community Engaged Learning? Community Engaged Learning includes three components:

● Relevant educational experience ● Community-based activity that addresses a community-identified need ● Reflective activity

CEL Objectives

● Social Knowledge ○ Identify the causes of significant social issues

● Diversity of Communities

○ Engage as part of diverse communities in culturally and contextually appropriate ways

● Application of Knowledge ○ Analyze and address social issues using disciplinary and/or course-based knowledge and skills

● Systems & Structures

○ Identify how systems of privilege and oppression affect individual and group opportunities and experiences

● Civic Responsibility

○ Actively contribute to sustaining and enhancing communities as members of local, regional, national, and global communities

● Civic-Identity & Commitment

○ Demonstrate goals to live a life of critically informed community engagement

* Modified from the AAC&U Civic Engagement Rubric

CEL Institute Programs

First-Year Community Engaged Learning (FYCEL) Experience (Revision) First-Year Community Engaged Learning (CEL) is a graduation requirement that brings the College’s values to life, and introduces students to the culture of the campus. All First-Year students are required to spend a minimum of eight hours learning about and addressing one of the unmet needs of the local or regional community. Students participate in a four-session introductory experience through IDS 103 in either the Fall or Spring Semester. The experience includes three class sessions of education/reflection and four hours of service. Content for the experience was developed and is delivered by TCNJ faculty and staff. (Introductory) Community Engaged Learning (CEL) (New) Community Engaged Learning includes a relevant educational experience based on the learning goals of the Center, a community-based activity that addresses a community-identified need and includes a reflection activity that helps students understand what they did, why they did it and what they can do next. CEL team has developed educational modules that address the CEL learning goals and modules for reflection activities that can be used in curricular or co-curricular experiences to enhance service experiences and make them CEL. In order to be designated CEL, experiences must address at least two learning goals, include 10 hours of service and a reflection activity. The CEL team can assist with community partner matching and implementation as needed. Advanced Community Engaged Learning (ACEL) Advanced CEL, upper-level courses apply discipline-specific concepts and skills to address a community-identified need. These experiences are course-based, community engaged learning activities that complement the existing learning objectives of the course. Students have three opportunities to participate in ACEL:

● ACEL Designated Courses (No Changes) - Faculty will work with the CCE to integrate CEL into specific courses

and all students who enroll in that course will participate in the CEL experience. CEL Staff assist with project development, partner matching and implementation as needed. Each course must address three learning goals, include approximately 17 hours of direct or indirect service and include a CEL-related assignment.

● ACEL-by-Contract (New) - Students interested in integrating ACEL into non-designated courses may apply to

complete an ACEL-by-Contract enhancement project. Students will work with the faculty member teaching the course where they would like to add ACEL in order to develop an enhancement that meets a requirement/assignment of the course and a community-identified need. Individual projects should meet the same requirements as a traditional ACEL course.

● Internships (No Changes) - Students interested in completing a credit-bearing internship with a local community agency can enlist the help of the CEL staff to find a possible community partner and opportunity. Students interested should begin by talking to a faculty member in their field of interest and reaching out to the CCE for partnership help.

Community Engagement Initiatives (Expansion) There are many projects students, faculty and staff participate in on campus that bring value to both our students and the local community. The CEL team can assist with coordination and encourage cross-campus collaboration in community engagement work. CEL staff can assist students, faculty, staff and partners with developing curricular or co-curricular service projects, finding and applying for external funding, and celebrating successes with the campus and the greater TCNJ community. The CCE facilitates and supports the following community engagement projects:

● Summer Community Leaders - in partnership with NJ AmeriCorps, students can apply for summer internships with community partner agencies.

● Capital City Youth Violence Coalition (CCYVC) - in partnership with the NJ Office of the Attorney General, CCYVC aims to create a city where youth are safe through collaboration, coordination and the sharing of resources. Local stakeholders gather together to share their knowledge about policies, programs, services and best practices so they can make informed recommendations to municipal, county and state officials through the Youth Safety Playbook.

● Connect Trenton - in partnership with Princeton Area Community Foundation’s All Kids Thrive Initiative and Trenton Public Schools, the Connect Trenton Coordinator works in Trenton’s Ninth Grade Academy to help get students connected to local services to address barriers to student success.

● Mercer County Reentry Task Force - in partnership with Mercer County Human Services, the Task Force aims to build a safer and more just Mercer County through advocacy, awareness building, and collaborative action.

● Choice Neighborhoods - in supporting the work of the Trenton Housing Authority, CCE will be assisting with the Choice Neighborhoods initiative to assess the needs and interests of residents.

Research and Evaluation (Expansion) The CEL staff assesses and shares outcomes of the FYCEL and ACEL experiences and supports faculty in research, data collection, grant application and publication of CEL projects. Students and faculty have assisted with research and evaluation projects for community partners on topics such as gun violence, youth development and violence prevention, youth engagement, mentoring, domestic violence and many more.

First-Year CEL (FYCEL) Experience Proposal

January 2020 Background - History

FYCEL (not integrated in FSP)

The First-Year service requirement is an integral component to reach the Mission of

TCNJ to provide students with an educational experience that is “personalized, collaborative, and rigorous” which “engages students at the highest level within and beyond the classroom” in order to “develop critical thinkers, responsible citizens, and lifelong learners and leaders” that are empowered “to sustain and enhance their communities both locally and globally.”

In 2006 the Bonner Center took responsibility for the First-Year service requirement with the help of the Bonner Community Scholars. The requirement was adjusted from 10 hours to eight hours in order to allow for experiences to be completed in one day. Due to increased capacity of the Bonner Community Scholars as student-leaders, the experience was enhanced by adding an education and reflection component to each service day.

FYCEL (integrated in FSP course)

Beginning in 2006, the Bonner Center provided the opportunity for FSP professors to

integrate the first-year CEL requirement into their courses. In year one, there were approximately 30 professors who chose to participate in FSP CEL. Throughout the last 13 years, the number of FSP CEL courses has increased to close to 40 courses.

Professors met with CEL staff to develop projects that would meet the learning goals of the course and the needs of the community. While the eight-hour service requirement was integrated into courses, there was not a requirement for CEL learning goals to be added to the syllabus and only a suggestion of an assignment connected to the CEL experience. Background - Drivers of Change FYCEL (not integrated in FSP)

Beginning in 2016, staff began to see changes in the incoming TCNJ student population.

They showed an increased interest in deep learning and service experiences, and knowledge of community and civic topics. With survey and verbal feedback from students, faculty, staff, community partners and CELR staff, the CELC discussed opportunities to increase the quality of education and reflection in the CEL requirement and increase TCNJ’s impact on the community.

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In the Spring of 2018, Bonner students shared that they did not feel qualified to teach an

enhanced learning experience, and the CELR staff and alumni took over the education and reflection facilitation.

In addition to the need for increasing the quality of the experience, we have also seen an increase in enrollment (incoming first-year students and transfer students with <7.5 credits) from approximately 1,300 students in 2006 to 1,650 in 2018, which gave rise to the challenge to increase the number of one-day service experiences needed. FYCEL (integrated in FSP course)

While some of the FSP CEL projects have been successful, others have not showed the

same outcomes. In Fall 2019, the CEL staff worked to better train the FSP professors on the goals of CEL, with the aim of increasing the learning of the students and the overall quality of the CEL experiences.

The number of hours spent by faculty and CEL staff in planning and executing FSP CEL projects, does not align with an increase in desired outcomes. In comparing the first-year co-curricular experience with FSP CEL, we have found that co-curricular experience has an overall larger impact on learning goals. By reworking how we integrate CEL into the FSP program, we are hoping to increase the quality of the experience and/or allow for faculty and CEL staff to spend time on higher impact projects. Recommendation Summary

All students complete the four-session model, piloted in the Fall 2019, in order to provide a consistent experience. FSP courses will no longer count towards the FYCEL requirement, but will still be able to integrate a CEL component into their class. FYCEL Experience Overview

First-Year Community Engaged Learning (FYCEL) is a graduation requirement that

brings the College’s values to life, and introduces students to the culture of the campus. All First-Year students are required to spend a minimum of eight hours learning about and addressing one of the unmet needs of the local or regional community. In groups of 10-14, students participate in a four-session introductory experience through IDS 103 in either the Fall or Spring Semester. The experience includes three class sessions of education/reflection and four hours of service. Content for the experience was developed and is delivered by TCNJ faculty and staff.

This new model will both better prepare students for their experience and allow for a larger impact on the community through consistent, weekly service to each partner.

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FYCEL Learning Goals

● Social Knowledge ○ Identify the causes of significant social issues

■ I am aware of one social issue ■ I am aware of multiple social issues and how they are interconnected

● Diversity of Communities

○ Engage as part of diverse communities in culturally and contextually appropriate ways

■ I value interacting with people from different backgrounds and/or different ideas than my own

■ I value overcoming my own biases about people from different backgrounds and/or different ideas than my own

■ I am interested in learning more about social identities (e.g., race, gender, class, etc.)

● Systems & Structures

○ Identify how systems of privilege and oppression affect individual and group opportunities and experiences

■ I understand how systems and structures affect individual experiences ■ I understand how systems and structures affect group experiences

● Civic Responsibility

○ Actively contribute to sustaining and enhancing communities as members of local, regional, national, and global communities

■ I am committed to participating in activities for civic engagement ■ I am interested in learning more about social movements

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Data / Support Valuable Experience

In the post survey for students who have completed the Fall 2019 FYCEL pilot, we ask if students found their experience valuable. The pilot will continue in Spring 2020 where additional data will be collected. Below you will find the outcomes from all students, for those students from Trenton, by Race and by First-Generation.

● Overall Valuable Experience % ○ 89% of students agreed or strongly agreed that their Fall 2019 FYCEL experience

was valuable (n=268).

● Trenton Students ○ 100% of students from Trenton agreed or strongly agreed that their Fall 2019

FYCEL experience was valuable (n=3)

● Race ○ 100% of African American / Black identifying students agreed or strongly agreed

that their Fall 2019 FYCEL experience was valuable (n=14). ○ 95% of Asian/Asian American identifying students agreed or strongly agreed that

their Fall 2019 FYCEL experience was valuable (n=37). ○ 93% of Hispanic/Latinx identifying students agreed or strongly agreed that their

Fall 2019 FYCEL experience was valuable (n=40). ○ 100% of Native American/Alaskan Native students agreed or strongly agreed that

their Fall 2019 FYCEL experience was valuable (n=1). ○ 100% of Pacific Islander / Hawaiian Native students agreed or strongly agreed

that their Fall 2019 FYCEL experience was valuable (n=1). ○ 85% of White identifying students reported their Fall 2019 FYCEL experience

was valuable (n=162). ○ 89% of Multiracial identifying students agreed or strongly agreed that their Fall

2019 FYCEL experience was valuable (n=9).

● First Generation ○ 92% First Generation identifying students agreed or strongly agreed that their Fall

2019 FYCEL experience was valuable (n=74). ○ 87% Non-First Generation identifying students agreed or strongly agreed that

their Fall 2019 FYCEL experience was valuable (n=187).

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Fall 2018 (CEL Day Model) & Fall 2019 (Pilot Model) Comparison

In comparing the post-survey learning outcomes from 2018 and 2019 show overall the 2019 Pilot was more impactful than the CEL Day Model in six of seven categories. The chart below shows comparable questions between the years using the averages of a 4-point scale - Strongly Agree (4) to Strongly Disagree (1).

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Fall 2018 Curricular (FSP CEL) and Fall 2019 (Pilot Model) Comparison

In comparing the post-survey learning outcomes from Curricular 2018 and Co-Curricular Pilot 2019 shows overall the 2019 Pilot was more impactful than the FSP CEL in six of seven categories. The chart below shows comparable questions between the years using the averages of a 4-point scale - Strongly Agree (4) to Strongly Disagree (1).

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(Introductory) CEL Designation Proposal

January 2020 Background

Currently, in practice, there is an Advanced-CEL designation being used for upper-level courses to integrate high-level projects into courses.

Faculty have shared that integrating Advanced CEL into their course can be challenging due to the number of hours required and the skill level of students to tackle complex community-identified needs. In order to provide more introductory CEL experiences, recruit new faculty to participate in CEL and continue to work with FSP courses, bringing back the CEL designation, in addition to the ACEL designation, would allow for faculty to integrate CEL with fewer hours required and lower-level projects. Recommendation

Overview

We recommend adding the CEL designation as an option for introductory-level courses, including FSP classes.

All CEL courses will include a relevant educational experience based addressing two of the CEL learning goals, a community-based activity that addresses a community-identified need and includes a reflection activity that helps students understand what they did, why they did it and what they can do next. The CEL Institute will develop educational modules that address the CEL learning goals and modules for reflection activities that can be used in curricular or co-curricular experiences to enhance service experiences and make them CEL. In order to be designated CEL, experiences must address at least two learning goals, include 10 hours of service and a reflection assignment/activity. The CEL team can assist with community partner matching and implementation as needed.

FSP CEL Application

FSP professors will still have the opportunity to integrate Community Engaged Learning into their courses through the CEL designation. This experience in the FSP course will not exempt students from completing the FYCEL Introduction Experience as their graduation requirement.

Once proposals for FSP courses are accepted in early-Spring, faculty will be offered the opportunity to learn about the CEL designation process and will be asked to follow the normal CEL application structure.

● Step 1: Complete interest form and meet with CEL Institute staff to discuss project and partner ideas by

April 1st. ● Step 2: Complete the CEL Application by May 1st. ● Step 3: CEL Institute staff will approve applications by June 1st. ● Step 3: Update and submit syllabus to CEL Institute staff by August 1st.

This timeline will allow FSP faculty to apply for FSP funding for travel, speaker, or supply funding for

projects by the August 12th deadline, in the case the project is not CEL approved.

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ACEL-by-Contract Draft Proposal

January 2020 Background Currently, students have the opportunity to participate in approximately 12 courses each semester. Most courses are in the School of Arts and Communication and the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. In order to provide more opportunities for students to engage in this experience, the CELC and CEL Institute reviewed other models, primarily the TCNJ Honors-by-Contract process, which allows students to work directly with faculty to add enhancements to any course to fulfill the requirements of the Honors program. The increasing need for more ACEL experiences comes from interest of students to engage in real life experience with the community and the interest of programs such as the Honors Program, the Social Justice minor and the Social Justice concentration, all of which require ACEL to help meet their learning goals. Recommendation Overview The ACEL-by-Contract course option would provide multiple avenues for students to obtain academic credit for community-engaged coursework, even if an ACEL Course is not being offered in that subject area. Within the framework of the course or experience, the student and professor together agree to a set of enhancements that meet the ACEL requirements below. Proposals must be developed with a faculty advisor and, for a course to be considered for ACEL-by-Contract status, the student must submit a proposal for evaluation to the CEL Institute. Students may submit ACEL-by-Contract proposals in the following scenarios:

● Incorporating community-engaged research into an upper-level course ● Designing a capstone-level research project ● Incorporating community-engaged research into an independent study ● Completing an internship at a community-based organization or agency

ACEL-by-Contract can be used to satisfy the ACEL requirement found in the Interdisciplinary Social Justice Concentration, the upcoming Social Justice Minor, or simply as an elective experience. Requirements

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1. Address three (3) of the six (6) CEL learning outcomes

a. Social Knowledge: Identify the causes of significant social issues. b. Diversity of Communities: Engage as part of diverse communities in culturally and contextually

appropriate ways. c. Application of Knowledge: Analyze and address social issues using disciplinary and/or

course-based knowledge and skills. d. Systems and Structures: Identify how systems of privilege and oppression affect individual and

group opportunities and experiences. e. Civic Responsibility: Actively contribute to sustaining and enhancing communities as members

of local, regional, national, and global communities. f. Civic-Identity and Commitment: Demonstrate goals to live a life of critically informed

community engagement. 2. Address a community-identified need in partnership with a community organization 3. Incorporate a reflection component

Process

● Complete proposal with the faculty member teaching the course, and support of CEL Institute staff as needed, by the 3rd Friday of the semester.

● CEL Institute staff will review and approve proposal one week after submission. ● Student completes Part I of the ACEL-by-Contract Completion form and turns into faculty advisor for

approval. ● Faculty advisor must complete Part II of the ACEL-by-Contract Completion form. ● Student submits ACEL-by-Contract Completion form to the CEL Institute for approval and processing. ● CEL Institute staff submits final approvals to Records and Registration for addition of ACEL

designation. Faculty Role Faculty will be asked to assist students with proposal that is an enhancement to the current course. No new graded projects or assignments should be added to ensure the additional grading time will be minimal. Faculty have the right to decline a student’s request based on availability to assist with the proposal and other needed advising.

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